HOW LONG?

[Shelly]

How Long do you Contest Prep??

Obviously some need more time than others...

Bets and I did 10 weeks til show 1 last yr...

since are having a serious bulk this year (with added weight) we are thinking 12 weeks....
but its all up to the trainer...

what about you?:popcorn:

[fitmomma3]

I know many like 16 but its in phases. The first four is a clean up maybe (minimal cardio to "tighten and prepare the body") with weekly cheats...the next four may takes out any stitch of processed food, up cardio, lower cal slightly... and the I saw pretty much for EVERYONE 6-8 weeks out is CRUNCH time FULL FORCE (take out condiments, sweeteners anything) and up cardio and lower calories according to progress.

I've always done either 10 to 12 personally... 10 when I've held conditioning a bit in the off season and 12 when I've "splurged" LOL Needless to say its 12 this time for me LOL and I can almost guarantee you're trainer won't let you do more than 12 as I asked to start at 16 and he said NO LOL

And Ern has been working with Dave starting 16 weeks out but once a week cheats till 8 weeks out AND NOW having NO fat days :) So getting stricter all the while upping cardio.

[Alli]

I clean it up nfor about 2 weeks....eat CLEAN but as much as I want, i.e i don't stress about portion control.

after that- 10 weeks of bringing it home....eventually I'd like to get it down to 8....:)

[dvsness]

Matt wanted to do 14 this time but I insisted on 16. That's what I'll need to get my lower lean enough for my liking. I do my own diet, but Matt is my eyes. I can't look at myself with an unbiased or correctly critical eye, so I rely on him to tell me what I need to concentrate on or if I need to speed up or slow down progress.

[SBT]

I also did 12 weeks for my first show last year, then since I was in maintenance after that and no bulking, only cut for about 8 weeks for my second show.

This year I am thinking 10-12 though so we will see?

[ripitupbaby]

18 weeks for me every time.

I don't like to rush it, and I never want to have to hit the "panic button" during the final weeks. I'd rather get where I want to be 2-4 weeks early than panic all the way till the end.

First 2-4 weeks include a cheat here and there, and then the rest is all business and cheats ONLY when my trainer OKs it.

[NPCFigure 40]

My first show was 12 weeks and my last show was 16 weeks (had a big bulk to contend with) If I was competing this year I would be doing 12.

[Alli]

I notice alot of ladies on here diet for a long time... I'm just curious as to why- or what you eat when dieting. 18 weeks is a long ass time and there should be no need to put your body through that. It's important to remember that it's not "healthy" to diet. Despite you looking great, your body is deprived of a considerable amount of vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals that it needs to function healthfully. It's also important to remember the longer you diet the more apt yoru body is to lose muscle mass in addition to body fat. Therefore it's GENERALLY (not ALL the time, but GENERALLY) beneficial to diet as minimally as possible, rather then overdoing it. A pro tanned string bean is not the goal, and ultimately in order to continue to push your physique you have to tone and refine your muscles....in order to do this your body needs a break- as long of one as possible. Dieting is not a state of health for the body, its a state of deprivation and although its needed to compete obvously, you don't want to be doing it any longer then need be.

[NPCFigure 40]

Hey Ali,

I can say that last year I bulked from 125lbs to 155lbs. I went from 11% BMI to 21.5% BMI in my off season!! I had alot to loose. So my trainer and I started me out slowly....cleaned up the diet, started cardio slowly, and we gradually upped the intensity of the diet and cardio. What ended up happening is that the weight did not coming off fast enough (had a hard time re starting my metabolisim) and we were not sure I was going to make the show, we cut my protein portions in half and upped my cardio to twice a day and within a week, it just started coming off! So much so, it was a challenge the last 2 weeks to keep the muscle on!! This last off season I only put on 15lbs and I kept my BMI to 16%. (much more comfortable) and just cleaning up my diet and adding a bit more cardio(extra 10 min each time) I am already down 5lbs and 3% BMI in 2months. (going slow since summer is still a couple months out) If I was competing this year I probably would have only needed about 12 weeks, and no need for double cardio this time either. I learned alot about my body/metabolisim last year to know I needed to stay leaner..keep in the cardio(not much, just 3xwk at 35 min) Keep fat intake down, carbs cleaner/rotated them..and my end result is I put on 3lbs of muscle this past off season. At the age of 39 (almost 40) I am very happy with this past off season. Next off seaosn I will grow more..then Try it again before my 41st birthday!

Well thats why I prepped so long......

[Alli]

Hey Ali,

I can say that last year I bulked from 125lbs to 155lbs. I went from 11% BMI to 21.5% BMI in my off season!! I had alot to loose. So my trainer and I started me out slowly....cleaned up the diet, started cardio slowly, and we gradually upped the intensity of the diet and cardio. What ended up happening is that the weight did not coming off fast enough (had a hard time re starting my metabolisim) and we were not sure I was going to make the show, we cut my protein portions in half and upped my cardio to twice a day and within a week, it just started coming off! So much so, it was a challenge the last 2 weeks to keep the muscle on!! This last off season I only put on 15lbs and I kept my BMI to 16%. (much more comfortable) and just cleaning up my diet and adding a bit more cardio(extra 10 min each time) I am already down 5lbs and 3% BMI in 2months. (going slow since summer is still a couple months out) If I was competing this year I probably would have only needed about 12 weeks, and no need for double cardio this time either. I learned alot about my body/metabolisim last year to know I needed to stay leaner..keep in the cardio(not much, just 3xwk at 35 min) Keep fat intake down, carbs cleaner/rotated them..and my end result is I put on 3lbs of muscle this past off season. At the age of 39 (almost 40) I am very happy with this past off season. Next off seaosn I will grow more..then Try it again before my 41st birthday!

Well thats why I prepped so long......

understood. :D Hopefully this time around you'll be able to diet less and keep your body fat relatively within reason. double cardio sucks.....ugh just thinking about it makes me want to hurl....haha I commend you for going through that!!!!! :D

[fitmomma3]

I will not speak for anyone but I think that most that diet LONGER actually usually Diet less restrictive than what you may be considering a "diet" (higher cal and or carbs than most would do...so its not as restricted as say the last 8 weeks) It may even allow more frequent cheat meals further into the diet. For instance I know many BBs that choose to diet longer and take off the weight SLOWER actually making very subtle changes each week NO EXTREMES at all, and this allows them to PRESERVE muscle mass better this way. Also many competitors like to be ready ahead of schedule so they can actually stop or lessen cardio and EAT their way into the show filling back up... It depends largely on the conditioning you hold off season and your body/metabolism and plan of attack...everyone is different. 16 weeks for one person may make them look like a string bean while for someone else it may be just enough time.

[Alli]

I will not speak for anyone but I think that most that diet LONGER actually usually Diet less restrictive than what you may be considering a "diet" (higher cal and or carbs than most would do...so its not as restricted as say the last 8 weeks) It may even allow more frequent cheat meals further into the diet. For instance I know many BBs that choose to diet longer and take off the weight SLOWER actually making very subtle changes each week NO EXTREMES at all, and this allows them to PRESERVE muscle mass better this way. Also many competitors like to be ready ahead of schedule so they can actually stop or lessen cardio and EAT their way into the show filling back up... It depends largely on the conditioning you hold off season and your body/metabolism and plan of attack...everyone is different. 16 weeks for one person may make them look like a string bean while for someone else it may be just enough time.

great points girl!

[fitmomma3]

great points girl!
Thanks GIRLY! :kiss:

[ripitupbaby]

I will not speak for anyone but I think that most that diet LONGER actually usually Diet less restrictive than what you may be considering a "diet" (higher cal and or carbs than most would do...so its not as restricted as say the last 8 weeks) It may even allow more frequent cheat meals further into the diet. For instance I know many BBs that choose to diet longer and take off the weight SLOWER actually making very subtle changes each week NO EXTREMES at all, and this allows them to PRESERVE muscle mass better this way. Also many competitors like to be ready ahead of schedule so they can actually stop or lessen cardio and EAT their way into the show filling back up... It depends largely on the conditioning you hold off season and your body/metabolism and plan of attack...everyone is different. 16 weeks for one person may make them look like a string bean while for someone else it may be just enough time.



Exactly. I put on a lot of size in the off-season, and the idea is to take the bad size off very slowly while preserving all of the good size.

[bree marsh]

i started 12 weeks out this time and was the leanest i have ever been when starting. i'd have to say that my diet is very healthy! i am not too restrictive, it seems so far that i have been able to maintain or even gain a bit of muscle as i diet! if you diet correctly and keep health 1st, leanness WILL follow! it doesn't have to be unhealthy! of course as it gets closer i get a little more restrictive, but never eliminate a food group! in the past i did 8 weeks and then 12 weeks, by the last week i was struggling to get the last few lbs off, this time i hope to be ready by 2 wks out and just cruise on in!

[dvsness]

Unless I'm in a pretty big caloric excess offseason, I simply can't add muscle, so this means adding a certain amount of fat. I'm ok with being chunky offseason. I don't mean to be a fitness model so I'm not concerned with being lean all the time. My diet is long but gradual and that's what it takes to get all this ass off! :D I suppose I could do a 10 week crash diet, but I think I'd be stressing the whole way through about coming in tight enough on time.

[DanielleA]

It's official for me - 12 weeks this season, starting in mid-May.
Maybe I should get that Twix bar I was craving now, while I still can! :)

[Shelly]

It's official for me - 12 weeks this season, starting in mid-May.
Maybe I should get that Twix bar I was craving now, while I still can! :)

DOO IT!:popcorn:

[NPCFigure 40]

understood. :D Hopefully this time around you'll be able to diet less and keep your body fat relatively within reason. double cardio sucks.....ugh just thinking about it makes me want to hurl....haha I commend you for going through that!!!!! :D


Thank you!!!! I'm trying! Still learning though, and loving the process!! :)

[Shelly]

Thank you!!!! I'm trying! Still learning though, and loving the process!! :)

thats what matters!:)

[raaach521]

For my first show, I dieted for 8 weeks.. I stay relatively lean all year round so I don't have too much to lose. however, I guess you could say I "winged it".. For nationals in the Spring I'm definitely getting a trainer!! :-x esp. since it'll only be my 3rd show. Any suggestions? Lol.

[powergirl]

i guess figure is different than BB in that BB's need to get leaner for show day -- also if you're a HW the amount to lose is greater, even given the same starting BF % (a LW who is 15% has far less fat than a HW at 15%). for me, i was about 14-15% b.f. when i started dieting at 24 weeks out, which is my usual start point. sounds like a lot but in my experience its better to go long and slow than take drastic measures...also keeping the metabolism going with regular high carb days is a good idea!

[Badgergrl]

I think 12 wks is ideal for me. Once I hit a certain point, the fat comes off pretty quickly. For the NAs I dieted for 16, and I think that was too much for me. I'd rather be more hardcore for a shorter amount of time then stretch it out to be a little more lenient in the beginning.
If I prolong dieting I'm more prone to cheat and slack towards the end.

[Suzanne]

I have always done 12 weeks but i lose EXTREMELY slow last year for Nationals I lost 6 scale lbs and never did 1 bite off my plan go in my mouth or miss any training or cardio! So this year we are looking at trying 16 weeks

[Kristin]

For my first show I waited until 7 weeks out cuz I didn't know any better but this year I started 12 weeks out.